International Feature: How Phytonics Enables PV Projects at Sensitive Sites

Great attention for our bionic technology on the international stage: The renowned trade magazine PES (Photovoltaic Production-Engineering-Solar) reports in detail on Phytonics in its current issue. Under the title "Making solar PV viable at sensitive sites", our co-founder and CEO Dr. Ruben Hünig describes within a global industry focus why the need for legally secure glare protection is growing rapidly.

The Physical Problem: When 1% Reflection Means a Construction Freeze

Driven by new guidelines such as the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), PV expansion is moving closer and closer to sensitive transport routes, airports, and urban areas. Even with standard anti-reflective coatings, conventional solar modules often still reflect around 1% of sunlight. At shallow angles of incidence, this quickly leads to luminance levels well over 100,000 cd/m² – the threshold for dangerous glare. The risk for project developers and EPCs is high: delayed approvals or court-ordered dismantling mandates can be the result.

The Bionic Solution in the PES Technology Check

The article in PES Magazine highlights the physical mechanics of our XRF anti-glare film in detail. Inspired by microscopic surface structures from the plant world, the bionic topography efficiently directs light into the module and extremely diffuses any remaining reflections. The result: the reflected luminance stays well below the critical glare threshold, even at shallow angles. Furthermore, the durable PMMA carrier film blocks 100% of harmful UV radiation, preventing the degradation of modern cell technologies. At an oblique light incidence (80°), the power yield even increases by around 40% compared to standard modules.

Practical Proof on an Industrial Scale

The international milestones highlighted in the technical article prove that this technology rescues project planning on a large scale:

• Airport parking deck: More than 2,200 modules (6,380 m²) ensure glare-free operation directly next to the runways of a Belgian airport.
• Brussels South Charleroi Airport: Around 5,000 modules of an 8.5 MWp plant were successfully equipped with our glare protection.

Whether as a flexible retrofit for existing systems or integrated directly into series production – the weather-resistant film certified according to IEC 61215 paves the way for the next big market trend: matte, glare-free PV surfaces that blend harmoniously into sensitive landscapes.

👉 Click here to go directly to the full article in PES Magazine (PDF)